Don't You Dare!
by moonlitemasq0812
Summary: It's time to say good bye to the ones he loves. His family will have to understand. He's ready to give up and accept that death is inevitable, the complete opposite of how he led his life to this point. However, she won't let him say good bye. No. Not without a fight. Set after Chapter 516 closes. Igneel told Natsu there was no hope.-a what-if
1. Chapter 1

**Well here I am about to conquer my fear and try my attempt at writing for the wonderful world of . Please read and offer reviews of constructive criticism. I want to improve my writing for this website's audience.**

 **This story is indulgence into my guilty pleasure of being obsessed with Fairy Tail and the magnificent ship of Nalu- my otp! Unfortunately, I do not own anything except the concept of this story's plot. The real story of Fairy Tail and its characters belong to my hero- HIRO MASHIMA SENSEI!**

 ** _Spoilers!_**

 **This story will be pure rotten (fluffy) Nalu. It should be at least two-three chapters. It is loosely based on the last Fairy Tail chapter, 516. The moment Igneel explains everything to Natsu and Natsu looks very sad. It is meant to be taken as a What-if story, not to substitute Mashima's work in anyway.**

Silence fell throughout Natsu's heart. Only the swift flames rippling from Igneel's nose, could be heard. A single tear slid down Natsu's cheek as he turned to meet Igneel's glare once again. "So… there's really nothing I can do," Natsu whispered towards the representation of his father. Ingeel sighed and shifted his gaze away from his son, as if to avoid the pain in Natsu's olive eyes. "Natsu, my son," steamed Igneel, "If only I could've protected you from yourself, then maybe it wouldn't have come to this." The harsh words further solidified the graveness of the matter at hand. "My family….Happy…Lucy" Natsu gasped as he fell to his knees, furthering into a fetal position. He could no longer hold the tears back. The gates holding back his emotions fell and he cried out in anguish.

Natsu's pain resounded as Igneel's flames danced around father and son. "Natsu…" Igneel whispered as he gently nudged his nose into Natsu's side. "Natsu, there's little time left. Might you want to say good bye," the dragon questioned the small frame in front of him. Natsu moved slightly from the touch, and was able to choke out in a small cry, "I was supposed to stop this." "I know my boy," Igneel mumbled back, "you were supposed to defeat Zeref and save your family." Natsu cried until he could cry no more, surrounded by the warmth of this father. It seemed as no time had passed for him and his father.

When he had been a child, Igneel had always been his comfort from the world as any good father would. He had instilled within him a sense to live to the fullest but also the strength to see through anything through to the very end. Sadly, this wasn't the true Igneel and that same fire did not resonate within Natsu as his death crept ever closer. With the little strength he could muster, Natsu pulled himself into a small space between Igneel's claws. He hugged the dragon, trying to ignore the burning sensation in his abdomen. "Thank you for staying just for a little while," he whispered into the dragon's scales. "I'm always with you," Igneel sheathed. "Sure," Natsu sneered back. Grimacing, the representative dragon did not reply, but rather let the moment pass and silence fall.

As the pain increased, Natsu knew he could no longer avoid the inevitable. He knew without a doubt he was dying and it was time to say good bye to those who mattered more to him than he had ever fathomed. "I guess that's it. I have to say good bye." With this realization, Igneel disappeared into a ball of light causing Natsu to shield his eyes. As the light disappeared, Natsu covered his eyes and tried to make out the identity of a radiant figure standing before him. The light surrounding the figure grew dimmer, and replaced the brightness with a calming aura. Natsu could only make out that the figure was female. She wore a white floor-length dress, that seemed to have been designed after a full corset/hooped dress that fancy ladies wore. The figure was taller than him, but had long flowing hair the color of the sun. It seemed to radiate brighter than any star had ever shown. Her chocolate eyes embodied something that began to tug at Natsu's heart, a feeling that can only be described as _home…._

"Lucy…" sighed the dragonslayer. The blonde turned her gaze to meet the dragonslayer's olive eyes, taking notice to the anguish buried deep within. "You might think, but you might not remember me," the blonde replied. "My name is Layla Heartfilia and I met you once upon a time ago." Confusion swept across Natsu's face, noticeable enough for Layla to take notice. "Natsu, I opened the gate that brought you to this time," Layla replied to the young man's confusion. "If you remember, you clung to me for dear life when you crossed the time portal, calling me Anna." The memory seemed hazy to Natsu as he barely recalled the terrifying moments after he had been shoved through the Eclipse Gate by Anna on Zeref's orders.

Eyeing the female with one eye squinted and the other very large. "Why are you here," he questioned her, "Aren't you Lucy's mom?" Layla smiled brightly and nodded. Natsu took in the uncanny resemblance mother and daughter held, noting how he could barely tell the difference between his Lucy and her mother. His heart felt a stabbing sensation at the thought of Lucy. "I am your escort between the worlds," Layla replied as she extended her hand to Natsu.

He looked at her sheepishly. "Escort? Am I already dead then?" The dread beginning to set in. Layla shook her head. "Not yet, I am here to take you back. Your heart no longer holds any useful secrets from you." Sighing, Natsu turned to face away from Layla, ignoring her outstretched hand…

"Why are you really here?"

Layla's smile disappeared and her hand fell back to her side. "Natsu, the Heartfilia women are destined to become one with space and time once we pass on. I am here as your escort. It was thought by the creators that you would prefer a familiar face."

"Hmpff…" Natsu exhaled as he fell to his knees. By this point the pain in his abdomen had spread to his chest, as if the fire from his belly had escaped and threatened to burn his lungs from the outside in. He clenched his side and heart. Layla sat cross-legged beside him; both looking out at the nothingness left in Natsu's heart.

"I've watched you and Lucy," Layla admitted in a whisper. Natsu didn't say anything in return and continued to stare at the blank emptiness ahead. She smiled slightly, and put her slender arm him. "I've watched your individual growth and your growth together." She pulled him close; his head came to rest on her slender shoulder. "Your friendship is amazing. Thank you for saving Lucy all those times. Thank you for being her friend. Her hero." Natsu looked up at Layla's face. Her face, her voice, so like Lucy's- the resemblance was still uncanny but the tears streaming from Layla's darkish brown eyes were different from Lucy's. They smelled of no salt, unlike Lucy's. This simple fact made Natsu slightly uncomfortable, awkward enough that he pushed himself away from Layla. The sudden action made Layla flinch slightly.

"Lucy's one of my best friends. I'd always protect her," whispered Natsu. "I know and the future was bright for both of you," whispered Layla as she let her unsalted tears continue to freely stream down her Lucyish face.

"What do you mean," Natsu's voice broke as he questioned the female beside him. He turned his gaze to meet her eyes. He noticed her eyes held compassion as she stared back at him. So much like Lucy! Her confidence could be seen and it made him shiver. Her tears continued, but the atmosphere around the pair started to change. The atmosphere was being to turn slightly knotty, as Natsu did not understand where this conversation was headed.

"Natsu, I know you love her," Layla smiled with a brightness through her tears. She bumped him with her shoulder as if to make the message sink in as deep as possible. It must have worked because these words hit Natsu straight in his heart, just like an arrow. His expression became squeamish, and he crawled away from the female beside him, as fast as his pained abdomen and chest would allow him.

On all fours, he turned to look behind him. His rear facing the lady behind him. "I have to go. I have to go…"

Suddenly, a representation of his and Happy's house appeared before him. Natsu looked in to front window of the house and saw a blue feline flying around in excited circles. "Happy!" Natsu turned to look back at Layla, "Lady I'm sorry but I really need to go _home."_

Taken aback, Layla got to her feet as Natsu hurriedly crawled to his front door. "Wait, Natsu…," she called after him but it was already too late. Natsu pushed the door open to his cottage with his head and crawled in.

"Natsu!" Layla pulled herself up from her sitting position and hurried to the cottage's open door. "Lucy is waiting for you. Happy too." Natsu growled and slammed the door shut. Pulling himself up into a sitting position, back against the door, "I can't let this get the best of me…"


	2. Chapter 2

* ** _I own nothing. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima._**

 **There will be an author's note at the end of this:**

The throbbing pain in his chest would not stop. His entire body felt as if it were about to be consumed by an uncontrollable fire. The pain made him curl his head to knees. The pain throbbing travelled through his throat, straight into his head. _BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!_ Head pounding, the dragonslayer silently screamed in agony.

The flutter of wings became apparent. "Natsuuuuuuu," cried Happy. Happy landed at Natsu's feet. Reaching his paw to meet his buddy's shoulder, he shook the hunched figure in front of him. The shaking sensation caused the pain to rock Natsu's entire body. "Uhhhhh," Natsu murmured as he fell to his side.

Unbeknownst to Natsu, the figure of Happy was pulled from his side, pulled into the shadows that cloaked the inside of the cottage. Upon wiping the sweat of pain from his eyes, Natsu scanned the room for the exceed. Darkness cloaked what should've been his living room. "Happy, where are you, little Buddy," called the disheveled teen.

"NATSU!" called out a deep malicious sounding voice from the blackness. "How nice of you to finally come!" The voice echoed inside of Natsu's throbbing body. He tried his best to gather his thoughts and strength. Pulling himself off the blackened floor, he scrambled to his feet – barely. "Happy! Where are you," Natsu yelled off into the abyss once more.

A hearty laugh could be heard from the darkness. "There never was a _Happy_. You only saw what you wanted to see," a cruel voice boomed from the shadows. "What the hell are you talking about," screamed Natsu in response. His fear of Happy's condition fueled the little strength he could muster to face this new enemy. "You only imagined the cat and this sorry excuse of a home," responded the mysterious voice.

"You wanted to meet your demise. You wanted to meet the END." Laughter crept from the shadows and surrounded Natsu.

 _Hehehe_

"You didn't want to say farewell to your pathetic friends. Welcome to your death, Natsu Etherious Dragneel!" The voiced boom and echoed, seemingly everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"Who the hell are you," screamed Natsu as he tried to steady himself, arms wrapped around his torso. The pain unrelenting, throbbing more so with each new word the villainous voice screeched. "I want to know who you are," shouted the dragonslayer with forced ferociousness. Natsu approached the darkness ahead slowly, one step at a time.

"Little firer breather thinks he is SOOO scary, SOOO powerful," mocked the voice. "Dragneel, you are pathetic. You will die because you relinquished real power."

Anger began to overcome the pain. Natsu seethed. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU," roared the dragonslayer. He had finally come to the edge of the darkness. Huffing from deep breaths, Natsu tried desperately to see into the darkness. Reaching his right hand out, he attempted to touch the mist. The mist backed away from his hand.

"Do you truly want to know me? I'm your greatest fear. I'm the darkness of your heart. Your darkest secret." A figure began to materialize in the dark fog.

Natsu replied, "I don't care who you are, but I will find out where you took Happy!"

The figure crept closer. It was definitely a humanoid form. It moved with such an unEarthlandly grace. "Stupid man. All of this is your mind's depiction of death. You are ticks away from death. The END," cackled the voice. "The pain must be overwhelming. Why do you try to hold on? It was over before it even began."

"I have to say goodbye," whispered Natsu as the pain in his body pulsed even more intensely.

The figure slithered from the fog. Bright blonde hair crowned the woman before him. Her hair was tied into braid that cascaded down her back. She was adorned in a tight revealing dress- slits up both thighs, backless, sides cut out, tied at the neck. Chocolate eyes turned black, no pupil. Her once pail skin was charred and she had black and red scales covering many areas across her canvas. The haggard wings sprouted from her back were perhaps the most surprising new feature of the so familiar figure in front of the dragonslayer.

The shocking appearance of his friend before him, forced Natsu to his knees. "Lu-cy," the teen whispered, "but how?"

"I am not that silly girl," the figure sneered back at him. "I am a mere representation of your fears."

"What … what do you mean," choked Natsu in astonishment and horror. Quivering, he lowered his gaze from the haunting black eyes of the girl beyond. His gaze fell to the floor as his mind began to race. _"How is this possible," his thought._

Malevolent laughter resounded his mind mute. "I am your demon in the form you fear most." The voice hissed. "The demon seeds refuse to fuse with your dragon seeds. You are dying because the etherious will never bond with light. The girl is merely the one thing you value the most and you fear the most. The perfect way to meet your demise."

Natsu's green eyes glistened before the figure. "Anyone but her, please," he begged.

Demon Lucy smiled and bent down to one knee. She reached a blackish talon to under Natsu's chin and leisurely lifted his head. Olive eyes met black. "Funny how love makes us so weak," chuckled the demon giddily.

Layla had heard the entire encounter because she had pressed herself up against the door. The nightmare taking place inside the cottage made her spring into action. She tried frantically to turn the door's handle, to no avail. She could not save her charge from himself, as long as he continued to lock himself in the void of his heart. She hammered against the door, howling out, "Natsu let me in!"

Layla's hammering did nothing to impede the encounter inside.

"I don't have feelings for you or anything," exclaimed Natsu to the demon. The lie caused the demon to crackle even more.

"Natsu, I'm the one face you can't lie to. I know your secrets. You fell in love with this face on Tenrou Island and it escalated while you slept in Mavis's spell for 7 years. You can't outrun something like true love, even if you can outrun aging."

The memories of Kain crushing Lucy's form swept into Natsu's mind. He shook his head in an attempt to rid the memory from his consciousness.

Demon Lucy continued. "You couldn't understand the strong feelings when we awoke. You first thought you were just hazy after the 7-year suspension, but then the moment Minerva nearly killed me was the moment you became really afraid. Then my future self-did perish before your eyes, and I became the one thing you couldn't live without."

Layla continued to thump her fists against the cottage door. "Natsu, you need to let me in," she hollered.

Natsu's glistening eyes turned into quaint tears as his memories from the past haunted his mind. Demon Lucy definitely knew his past and which memories haunted him the most.

"When you realized how deep I was in your heart, you felt SOOO guilty that you were slowly forgetting to remember the dragon every day," mocked evil Lucy. The demon removed her talon from Natsu and stood up again. She turned away from his flustered figure, and continued to mock his pain.

"While we fought the demons of Tartaros, you attempted to use his memory as your anchor to this world. While it worked, you imagined him and me in a sunny meadow."

The image he used in the fight to keep his soul safe from Tartaros entered his mind. Igneel and normal Lucy were indeed in a sunny meadow below a tall mountain, but so was Happy. The guilt of lying about the scene to his closest friends came back. It intensified the pain in his chest. Becoming overwhelming yet again, Natsu fell to his side. Curling into a fetal positon, he whispered, "Enough."

"Never," the demon screamed. "The moment of death is SOOO close, Dragneel. The only thing left to say is how badly you wanted to kiss that stupid bimbo every time she has saved your pathetic hide. You were pathetic when you left to train for a year. You never let a day go by without having conversations in your head with her. You missed her SOOO much. You thought you'd deal the final blow to Zeref and then spend a blissful life with the wench, but you failed. When you saw the blood coming from her eyes, that was the only you time you have ever felt REAL power."

Layla attempted to turn the door handle once more. It still would not budge. _"I'll have to break the handle," Layla thought to herself._

Blood began to leak into Natsu's chest. He coughed hard and the red liquid spattered the floor of the cottage. Specks of red landed at the demon's feet.

"Looks like the different seeds have all but consumed your light, silly child. Any last words," Lucy inquired from the body before her.

His entire life flashed before his eyes. Memories: of a family he barely recalled, Igneel, the early days of fairy tail, Happy's birth, Lisanna's apparent death, Hargeon, Lucy, adventures with Team Natsu, Lucy, Tenrou Island, Happy, the Grand Magic Games, Lucy, Lucy, Tartaros, Happy, Igneel's death, Lucy, Igneel, Lucy, Lucy … _"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy…"_ A billion of her faces raced his mind, sad and happy and angry. It didn't matter. It was all the same to Natsu. As long it was Lucy, Natsu was there.

She was his other half, even if he never dared to express it. He hid this secret deep in fear she'd never feel the same way. Their friendship was his cornerstone. He loved Happy, but his connection with Lucy was on a deeper level, deeper than he had ever imagined. It was as if Haregon had been destined to happen, not that it had ever crossed his mind until he learned of Anna, Layla, and about his scarf.

Blood began to ooze from Natsu's nostrils. He was moments from death. He couldn't fight any longer. He knew he'd never see Happy again, nor Fairy Tail. Zeref's curse was crushing him whole. He knew he'd never see her kind eyes again. Lucy was fading from his mind as his vision grew dark.

"END will be released from this husk once you pass," jeered the demon, "so hurry up and die."

Natsu hardly registered this last part. He was fading fast. His control over the situation began to relinquish.

Layla tried the door handle once more. The handle broke off in her hand. Frustrated, she kicked in the door. The door slammed open and she froze in repulsion at the scene before her. Her "demon" daughter hovered above her dying charge's form. The demon was licking the salty sweat and blood from Natsu's face, as if to shaver the fading light of a good soul.

"Back away from him cursed creature," she fumed at the being. "He is not quite ready to embark on that journey."

Demon Lucy turned her gaze to meet the new voice that had emerged from the doorway. The demon's black eyes flickered in anticipation. It hungrily backed away from the nearly dead dragonslayer and said, "Mother, dearest, welcome to the END."

A vomit-like taste caked Layla's throat. "I am not your mother, nor are you my flesh. You disgusting and vile creature, how dare you mock the innocence of love!"

A toothy grin swept across the demon's face. "How smart you are. I am not your sickening silly daughter," cooed the monster. As if in response to Layla's accusation, the monster began to shed its skin- snake like. Lucy's face fell and the rest of her form slid from the monster's body, disappearing into dark mist.

A hideous dog-like beast with dragon scales and wings remained. The creature's appearance was revolting to Layla, an instrument of the light. Layla immediately recognized the creature as Zeref's dark art, an etherious. The King of Etherious in fact!

"Hello, END," Layla gagged from dark magical mist.

"Layla, how pleased I am to finally make your acquaintance," smirked the King of Etherious. "Please, kindly, let me banish you so that I might finish this."

"Don't you dare," screamed Layla. Pushing up her sleeves, she marched to meet the monstrosity before her.

"If you wish to exist no longer, I shall grant your final wish," replied the demon as he travelled forward to meet Layla, before she came any closer to Natsu.

Stopping before she met face to face with the demon, Layla clapped her hands together and uttered the spell Urano Metria. Light surrounded her form and she willed it at the demon.

END was able to dodge the attack and came back with an incantation of dark mist and fire arrows. Layla was able to sidestep the arrows, but the darkness took her from behind. Like a gigantic snake, the mist coiled around her. It started to aim for her throat.

Before it could crush her wind pipes, Layla screamed, "Your majesty please help me!"

END laughed heartily, believing the woman was begging him for her soul's existence. "Begging will get no wher-"

The demon was interrupted by the brightest light imaginable. A loud call echoed throughout the cottage, "My dear friend, I come."

A goat-man appeared before Layla and END. The light began to fade and Layla could see the Celestial King had answered her call for help. Her old friend and protector, Capricorn, had been sent to defend her and Natsu.

Though caught off guard by the celestial spirit, END quickly recovered and spat at the spirit. "Filth of the highest degree." END flicked his pointer and the dark mist began to wrap around Layla's face and throat.

Capricorn readied for battle. "Using arcane curses against the boy and my mistress is uncalled for," the celestial spirit said to the demon. Not waiting for a reply, Capricorn bashed both fists into the body of the demon. His relentless beating of END, helped to free Layla from the mist's clenches. END could not hold onto her as his strength evaporated when he played defense against Capricorn.

Within seconds, Layla was at Natsu's side. She attempted to provide her light to resuscitate the dragonslayer. Layla's light was enough to bring back Natsu to a conscious state. He started to cough uncontrollably, from settled blood deep in his throat. Layla slid her hand under his head and torso, and brought him to a sitting position.

The battle between Capricorn and END continued. Demon and Spirit matched each other blow for blow. In a furious storm, the two attempted to overcome the other. "Capricorn, use light against him. It's the only way," Layla called to the spirit. "Yes, my lady," Capricorn replied. Capricorn called upon the light surrounding him and willed it to puncture the demon's scalely hide. As if an answered prayer, his punches finally began to injure the demon.

 _NOoooo!_

END's scream echoed all around. Capricorn's next hit punctured his side and then the space above where a heart should be. The light began to sweep the hideous monster's dark being. Light was winning. "Zeref will not easily be out do-" screeched the demon but he was interrupted as Capricorn's last fist of light punctured through his face. In a loud explosion, the dark being and dark mist surrounding the group burst and faded away. Leaving behind only the force of light.

Layla cried in happiness, "Well done, Capricorn, I knew you could it! Thank you so much!"

A smile swept across the goat-man's face and he cheerily replied, "You are welcome, my lady. I'm glad I could be of service, but I must take my leave." Layla's eyes teared at her old friend. "Of course. Thank you again," she waved farewell as the celestial spirit returned to the celestial realm.

She looked down at the boy in her arms. She wiped her tears and smiled. "I'm glad you finally let me in, Natsu," she said to the boy.

Natsu looked at Layla and questioned her, "Am I still dying?"

Layla's smile faltered and she looked away from his gaze. She sadly clamored, "Yes, you are. I could not repair that damage. I could only repair enough to take you back." She returned her gaze to Natsu and saw a small grin across his face.

"That's okay," Natsu replied to her sadness. "At least, I can say good bye."

Layla pulled the dragonslayer into a tight hug. "I'm so glad Lucy had a friend like you."

Natsu returned Layla's hug. "Nah, I was the lucky one." Though it was not a lengthy speech, this simple phrase was enough to demonstrate how much Natsu had matured from the short time he knew Lucy Heartfilia.

Layla tightened her hold on Natsu and asked, "well are you ready?"

Natsu nodded against her shoulder and then asked, "how long will I have?"

Layla started to will their bodies into light. She carefully answered, "I'd say no more than ten minutes. Maybe less."

"It's enough," Natsu answered as he started to awaken to reality. "I'm going home."

Ten minutes left to live was enough to say fare well to his buddy, his family, and his Lucy.

 **Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit longer than I had anticipated but I wanted to do it justice. Especially since, Deeboo said the last chapter was too short. XD!**

 **Next chapter should be the last one but it will also be long because it will be the chapter when Natsu finally attempts to say good bye to Lucy and Happy. Let's say Lucy's not giving into Natsu's delusions.**

 **Thank you to LeeshyLoo, Airin Heartfilia 376, and Deeboo for the kind reviews. Leeshyloo, I completely agree that this cliffhanger that Mashima has us on right now is killing us with anticipation. I think we all want more Nalu. Some are anticipating this might be the moment when Nalu becomes cannon.**

 **Thank you to all those who are following and have favorited this story. Your follows/reviews are silent praise. It made my day! After this story, I will write more. I've a lot of ideas that I'll discuss at the end of next chapter. The next chapter will not take 5-6 days to come out. I promise. Til next chapter, peace! AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL!**


End file.
